Whiffletree.



PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907.

P. L. VINSON. WHIFFLETREE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18,1906

J N VE N 70/? RAUL L. Wwaow ATTORNEYS I PAUL LEE VINSON, OF NEWBERN, NORTH CAROLINA.

WHIFFLE'IREE l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed June 18,1906. Serial No. 322,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL VINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newborn, in the county of Craven and State of North Carolina, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Whiiiletrees, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of whifiletrees known spring whifiletrees, the object of which is to cause the moving strain to be transmitted to the body of the vehicle and sudden strains on the shoulders of the horses and 011 the vehicle prevented.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1. is a top plan view of a whiffletree constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same applied to the cross bar of vehicle shafts, with the attaching plate in section, and the cross bar partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of my whiifletree showing peculiar construction of same where the trace end is applied. Fig. i is an enlarged perspective view of the end of a whillletree showing another form of trace attaching means. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section 011 line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing I have represented a semi-elliptic spring composed of one or more leaves, though in the present instance, I have shown two such eaves a, a; the longer leaf (1 and the shorter leaf a are rigidly secured together by the bolts 12 I) which pass through them near their center, and through the clip block 0 being retained in place by the nuts (I; the said clip block is provided with central protuberance c, which has an extension c projecting downwardly from the same; through this protuberance and extension is an opening c through which a king boltf is to be passed to pivotally secure the whil'fletree to the cross bar g. Upon the cross bar is secured the socket plate h having the central flaring opening 7/ shaped to receive the tapered extension e of the clip block c. Each end of the leaf a is rolled back upon itself forming a stop :1 as shown in Fig. 3, and the upper and lower edges of the leaf immediately back of said rolled back end pressed inwardly to form the seat a for the eye of the trace; the parts of the leaf (1 that are pressed inwardly are further pressed and flattened out horizontally to form flanges a which will fit within the eye of the trace and prevent the same turning in the swingletree.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another method of forming the end of the leaf where the trace is to be attached; in this form the leaf has attached to its flat face by riveting or welding the plate a having the round '1 head a disposed at right angles to the plane thereof.

By means of the socket plate It and the clip block and its protuberance fitting in said socket plate, the whiilletree will be maintained in a perfect level position, and cannot rock up and down.

If it is desired to use my improvements with a double team where a pair of whiflietrecs are used attached to a doubletree or evener, the latter may also be made as an elliptic spring and the spring whiiiletrees hung to each end thereof.

l, I claim" 1. A spring whillletrce consisting of a plurality of leaves of different lengths rigidly connected together, a clip block secured to the center of the san1e,.the main or longer leaf having its ends rolled back on itself to form a head to retain a trace on the said leaf.

2. A spring whiiiletrce consisting of a plurality of leaves of different lengths rigidly connected together, a clip block secured to the center thereof and having a hole through the same, the main or longer leaf having its ends turned back upon itself to form heads or steps, the upper and lower edges of said leaf immediately adjacent to said heads being pressed inwardly and flattened to form flanges, adapted to lit within the eye of a trace and pre vent turning of the same.

25. The combination with a whiiiletree comprising a plurality of spring" leaves of different lengths, and a clip block rigidly secured together, said clip block having a central perforated protuberance and a tapering extension projecting downwardly therefrom, the ends of the longer leaf being turned back upon itself forming heads or steps. and the upper and lower edges of said leaf immediately adjacent to said heads pressed inwardly and flattened horizontally to form a seat for the eye of a trace, of a socket plate adapted to be secured to the cross bar of a vehicle shaft and having a central flaring opening adapted to receive the tapering extension of the clip block, and a king bolt passing through said clip block socket plate and cross lrur, to pivotally secure the whiiiletree to said cross bar.

4. A whiilletroe comprising a vertically disposed flat resilient liar, vertically projecting heads or steps at each end thereof, the upper and lower edges of said bar imme diately adjacent to said heads heir g pressed inwardly and flattened to form flanges adapted to fit within the eye of a trace and prevent turning of the same, and means for so curing the center of the whilllctree to a device to be drawn by horses.

5. A. spring whillletree consisting of a plurality of leaves of different lengths rigidly connected together, the main 01' larger leaf having its ends turned back upon itself to form heads or stops, the upper and lower edges of said leaf immediately adjacent to said heads or stops being pressed inwardly and flattened to form flanges adapted to fit within the eye of a trace and prevent turning of the same, and means for pivot-ally securing the center of the \vhiil'letreeto a device to be drawn by horses.

PAUL LEE VINSON.

Witnesses:

T. J. MITCHELL, J12, I'IENRY E. HOWELL. 

